Gillibrand, other lawmakers seek input on paid-leave proposal

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) is among a group of congressional lawmakers that sent a letter to experts, researchers, organizations, and others on a paid-leave proposal.

The lawmakers, who are part of a paid-leave working group, sent the letter to a range of individuals, organizations, researchers, policy experts, and others. It requests suggestions for expanding access to paid parental, caregiving, and personal medical leave in a “bipartisan, fiscally responsible and sustainable way,” Gillibrand’s office said in a Dec. 13 news release.

“The United States is the only industrialized nation without any form of national paid leave and it hurts our families, our health and our economy,” Gillibrand contended in the release. “The overwhelming majority of Americans support paid leave and believe it’s good for families as well as for business. I am proud to partner with this strong group of bipartisan lawmakers and I look forward to using input from a wide range of experts to shape our proposal.”

The group is “exploring solutions to expand access to paid leave for all Americans,” per the letter, which Gillibrand’s office included in the release.

Part of the letter read, “To inform our efforts, we invite individuals, organizations, researchers, policy experts, and others, to share your suggestions for expanding access to paid parental, caregiving, and personal medical leave in a bipartisan, fiscally responsible and sustainable way.” 

The letter then listed 10 topics for which the group of lawmakers is seeking input.

The subjects included what role the federal government should play in paid leave and how should it “interact” with the role of state-government and/or employer programs.

Also, what types of leave should a potential federal program coverage cover, at what length, and why? 

The lawmakers also seek descriptions on alternative ways any proposed framework can be financed and what financial mechanisms should be considered to expand paid leave. 

They also seek input on how proposed paid-leave frameworks can avoid creating unintended distortions, such as marriage penalties and reductions of private-sector paid-leave coverage. Another topic includes what supports small and mid-sized businesses need from the federal government to provide paid leave to workers.